Mr. Speaker, Manitobans take pride in the federal government's recent decision to hold in Winnipeg, home to the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress, the upcoming special G-7 conference on partnership for economic transformation of Ukraine in preparation for the G-7 summit next summer in Canada.
The Ukrainian-Canadian community which has its roots in Manitoba and the greater west had long dreamt of independence for its motherland, a dream that was passed on from generation to generation and finally realized in 1991.
Political independence needs economic prosperity to sustain it. Thus this conference is both essential and timely.
It therefore behoves Canada to ensure that this conference leaves a permanent legacy, perhaps the creation of a Canada-Ukraine foundation to help secure the economic transformation and prosperity of Ukraine which benefits Canada as well.